“American Idol” Eliminates Malaya Watson, Only Two Girls Remain

An “American Idol” contestant never wants to learn he or she was the week’s lowest vote-getter.

But the cruelty and heartbreak of that news becomes exponentially worse once the judges’ save is off the table.

After using their one and only save on Sam Woolf last week, the “Idol” judges removed the endearing prospect of a reprieve from the table. The contestant who received the lowest number of votes would have no alternative but to wave goodbye to his or her hopes of becoming the next “American Idol.”

The contestant required to confront that cruel reality was Malaya Watson, who after a few weeks of demonstrable growth, regressed at a time when no contestant can afford to do so. Her take on “Through the Fire” was plagued by the control issues that stunted her earlier ambitions of becoming a frontrunner, and America decided not to come to her defense this week.

Following Watson’s elimination, only two females remain in the competition. Jena Irene and Jessica Meuse, those ladies, join male contestants Harris, Dexter Roberts, Caleb Johnson, Sam Woolf and Alex Preston to form the Top 7.